A List of Notable Scientists

The CSET tests included a few questions about various scientists. Just clicking on one of the buttons (CSET 118, CSET 119, or CSET 122) will generate a list that I created on scientists that fit the topics of that CSET. For example, 118 is focused on astronomers and geologist, 119 is focused on biologists and geneticists. 122 is dedicated to geologists and will include a more detailed list.

Louis AgassizBirth/Death:1807 - 1873Birthplace: Haut-Vully, SwitzerlandLouis was the first to propose the idea that Earth had undergone a period known as the Ice Age. In explained in his book, Etudes sur les glaciers, how the movement of glaciers produced the striations seen in the landscape.

William BucklandBirth/Death: 1784 – 1856Birthplace: EnglandWilliam Buckland was the first to write a full account of a fossil dinosaur, which he named the Megalosaurus. He coined the term coprolites (fossilize feces), and used this info to reconstruct ecosystem from the past. Backed up Louis Agassiz's theory of glaciation during the ice age.

Nicolaus Copernicus 1473 - 1543Birthplace: Thorn, PolandNicolaus Copernicus countered the long belief idea that the sun and other celestial objects orbited the Earth. His heliocentric model explained that it was actually the sun that was in the center. He is referred to as the "father of modern astronomy” as a result of his theory.

Galileo Galilei Birth/Death: 1564 - 1642Birthplace: Pisa, ItalyGalileo Galilei was a physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and a philosopher. He is well known for making improvements to the telescope (which resulted in new findings in astronomy). Galileo is known for many things such as the creation of the thermoscope (used to show changes in temperature), his studies in the phases of Venus, his discovery of the four largest moons of Jupiter (named the Galilean moons), his analysis of sunspots, the improvements he made to the military compass, and his support of Copernicus' theory of heliocentrism (Galileo argued that ocean tides were proof that the earth circled the sun). He had a trial with the Inquisition as a result of his support for heliocentrism. They found him “vehemently suspect of heresy” and declared that he must spend the rest of his life under house arrest. He wrote Two New Sciences while under house arrest. His study of natural laws laid the groundwork for the scientists who followed him. He was one of the first to state that the laws of nature were mathematical.

Edmund HalleyBirth/Death:1656-1742Birthplace: London, EnglandEdmond Halley is well known for calculating the return of the comet that bears his name. Halley believed that the comet would return in 1758. Unfortunately, when it did return, he was not alive to witness it. The comet, however, from then on was known as Halley's Comet. This was the first time that the return of this comet was correctly predicted.He is also know for his creation of the diving bell and how to supply divers with compressed air.

Stephen HawkingBirth/Death: 1942-Birthplace: Oxford, EnglandProbably the most famous physicist of all time. He is best known for his studies in the black holes. In working with Bardeen and Carter, they proposed the four laws of black hole mechanics. He is also known for his work that led to greater understanding of the origin of the universe. He wrote a book, A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes.

Harry HessBirth/Death: 1906- 1969Birthplace: New York CityKnown as a “founding father” for the unifying theory of plate tectonics and is best known for his sea floor spreading theory. Harry theorized that the Earth's crust moved laterally away from the active volcanic oceanic ridges. New oceanic crust is formed at these ridges through volcanic activity and gradually moves away from this ridge (at the time, he couldn't explain how, but this theory later explained continental drift in the theory of plate tectonic).

Edwin HubbleBirth/Death: 1889-1953Birthplace: Marshfield, MissouriEdwin Hubble revolutionized astronomy. Known for “Hubble's Law”- universe is expanding. The more distant a galaxy, the greater is the speed at which it is moving away from the Milky Way.Before Hubble, astronomers' believed that the universe consisted entirely of the Milky Way Galaxy. Hubble identified Cepheid variables in several spiral nebulae, such as the Andromeda Nebula. This finding led to the new conclusion that they are much to distant to be part of our Milky Way Galaxy, and that other galaxies must exist. During this time, many scientists opposed and scoffed at this finding.Hubble also devised a system for classifying galaxies, known as the Hubby Sequence.The famous Hubble Space Telescope is named after Edwin Hubble. (Edwin also has an asteroid, a Moon's crater, and a Planetarium named after him)

James HuttonBirth/Death: 1726 - 1797Birthplace: Edinburgh, ScotlandJames Hutton theorized the concept of Uniformitarianism. He was one of the first to believe that the world was older than 300 million years. The concept of uniformitarianism is the idea that the Earth was formed/shaped/changed by slow-moving forces that are still in work today.

Charles LyellBirth/Death: 1797 – 1875Birthplace: Angus, ScotlandBest known for his book, Principles of Geology. This book popularized James Hutton's theory of uniformitarianism. Lyell's most important work, however was that in stratigraphy. He concluded that the layers of rocks could be categorized based on marine shells found within the layers and based on this finding he divided the Tertiary period into Pliocene, Miocene and Eocene parts. He also renamed the Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary periods into Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic.

Sir IsaacNewtonBirth/Death: 1643-1727Birthplace: Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth, Lincolnshire, EnglandNewton is best known for his three laws of motion -- inertia, acceleration, and action and reaction . He is also known for his Newtonian telescope, where he built the first successful reflecting telescope.

Carl SaganBirth/Death: 1934-1996Birthplace: Brooklyn, New YorkSagan worked to bring science into the popular culture. He appeared frequently on television and wrote numerous best-selling books. Sagan became best known for his 1980 television series, Cosmos, and a book of the same name adapted from it. His study of human intelligence, The Dragons of Eden (1977), was awarded a Pulitzer Prize.

Alfred WegenerBirth/Death:1880 -1930Birthplace: GermanyAlfred is most remembered for his theory of continental drift. This theory explained that the continents slowly moved around the Earth, however, he was unsure about the mechanism, what was driving the plates to move around the Earth. Thus, while he gave many observational evidence that support his theory of continental drift (puzzle-like fit of the continents, similar fossil plants found on either side of the Atlantic ocean, etc), he could not explain the mechanism.